"You've never heard of the body farm?"

"No," I said.

"It's where people donate their bodies to science so they can study decomposition.  They put the bodies in the ground, partially in the ground, they put 'em in cars, in culverts..."

"You mean they've got bodies lyin' all over?"

"Yeah."

"That appeal to you?"

"No."

"Who do you think it appeals to?"

"Idiots."

"Id-yits?  You want your body to be cared for and to be blessed by a Priest."

"I'd like to be on holy ground, yes."

What do you think of the body farm? Who would want to be there?

I think the body farm is an asset.

I've asked that my body be donated for research upon death, wherever it needs to go, I don't need it any more. My husband told me that he would donate my organs but he wanted to cremate my remains, he couldn't bear the thought of people doing research with my body.  I told him he better hope he dies first then, because I'm haunting his ass if he goes against my wishes.

He wants to be buried in a cemetery, have a funeral, the whole shebang.

I've heard of it and  IMO it's an invaluable tool for forensic science.  They study stages of decomp so that they can learn at crime scenes just how long a body may have aged in given circumstances.  God bless the people who donate their bodies to it - I don't think I could do it! *shivers*

Before reading this and seeing these images, my answer would have been that I would gladly donate my body, if it would help- rather than put it in a box and bury it.  But, now I'm not so sure.  I don't think I would like to have my remains just laying out in some field decomposing for research purposes.

What 'evs. I imagine that place stinks to high heaven, but if it helps someone down the road, so be it.

Plusalso, a worm's gotta eat, right?

8th houuuuuuuuuuse.

Yes, 'i've heard of the body farm. The forensic anthropoligst who performed research there writes crime novels with another writer under the name "Jefferson Bass" revolving around the place.  I like to read the novels, but I wouldn't want to ever visit such a place, dead or alive.

I've heard of it. I'm sure it has helped to better establish time of death based on different scenarios.

I'm an organ donor and that's it! The rest of me is being buried in the family cemetery.

If I was driving by with someone who wanted to stop, I would, without hesitation. I would not want to donate myself because I would not want to be left outside, I am cold enough all the time, as it is.

In real life, I tell my husband to do whatever he wants, that brings him the most comfort. I don't think he thinks of it much - he thinks he is going to die first.

Just make sure I'm ACTUALLY REALLY dead before you chuck me out there, OK????? (I read too much Edgar Allen Poe when I was a wee girl.)

Thanks for reminding me of a long-forgotten fear. :) I'm actually laughing.

But on a serious note, not that I wasn't being serious about being REALY DEAD, if my spirit is properly gone, what happens to my body is irrelevant. 'Cause it's not actually like they will be able to salvage any organs. My eyeballs are already on their way out. My lungs are no doubt crap. I could go on. But you get the idea. This sound like the perfect gift to humanity.

And, no, I'd never heard of it.

I did go see Body Worlds with a Scorp and admit I was fascinated.

I've seen a couple of body farm documentaries and I find them fascinating. I'd donate my body for science- cadevar for students or otherwise. It's just going to decompose so why not to put it to good use?

I'd love to visit one. 8th house. :)

I think body farms are wonderful. But I'd rather just be put in a shroud unembalmed and thrown in a hole, then plant a tree on me.

I've donated my remains for medical research - I probably won't leave enough money for a funeral and since I don't see my family, who's to mind? If I can do some good in death, so much the better... but like Carrie, I don't mind being cut up - but would rather not just decompose on the gorund! Totally illogical I know... I wouldn't change my decision even so.

I never thought about being thrown on the ground.  It doesn't really bother me, but when I read BP & Carrie's responses, I realized that if they're going to throw me out there I'd rather be propped up in a car like on a joy ride or hanging out on a bench feeding some birds or something.  Have fun with me! 

Saturn/Pluto Scorpio in the 9th, that's the best explanation I can come up with.

I don't think I could visit the body farm. I don't like seeing the dead (I avoid open caskets at funerals and dead pets) and certainly wouldn't want to smell it. But to those that do go, more power to them.

i have major personal issues with embalming and coffin liners and such

not going back into the earth, naturally, in a timely manner, is what disturbs me

i don't think i would want to donate myself to a body farm

but if it is this or be buried the way i recently saw my grandmother laid to rest

i'll take being thrown in the bushes anyday

and yes, i could visit one of these farms

the smell would take a little getting used to but the dead don't bother me at all

I don't have qualms about dead bodies per se, such as in a casket.  But my Virgo Moon ruled stomach just could not take seeing/smelling bodies in all various stages of decomposition.  I would go home from there still smelling that stuff---

I would totally let them send my body there.  After the useful organs had been donated, natch, but yeah.  I have no religious or cultural feelings that would make me uncomfortable with it at all.

I could see it from my 14th floor apartment in Knoxville, when I was in grad school.

It was across the river and wooded so you couldn't really see anything. But I used to look out at the patch of woods over there and think "there's the body farm." :)

I didn't know they existed. I don't like the thought of them but that is due to my past life stuff.

Whoooowhoooo Jilly! How strange!! I love graveyards but I wouldn't like that - I mean flies can fly, yanno?

I couldn't stand the smell either - just meat that's a bit off makes me heave and the smell stays with me for days if not weeks. I gutted and skinned a rabbit tonight - courtesy of the dog, and he didn't even know how to kill it so I had to finish it off :(   I did it outside but the smell from the guts was pretty awful. I cooked it but I wont eat it til tomorrow - or maybe Monday lol!

Just make sure I'm ACTUALLY REALLY dead before you chuck me out there, OK????? (I read too much Edgar Allen Poe when I was a wee girl.)

Michele I just listened to my grandfather... Besides being a GP he was Police Surgeon of Nottinghamshire which meant he had to attend all exhumations. He left it in his will that he was to have his carotid artery severed before he was buried, and he advised all his family to do likewise ;)

The Body Farm serves a number of important, useful functions. It's background and purpose are fascinating (to me, at least).

I'm glad there are those willing to donate their bodies to its use. (though, if I recall, any body donated without specified arrangements/exclusions could be requisitioned)

For my part, I'm vain and private past intellectualizing a greater good in this regard...even in death.  I'll take a pass and opt out on post-mortem participation for this one, thanks.

I've actually thought about donating - there's no cost if you're in a certain radius of Knoxville. After you are skeletonized, they put your skeleton in their collection.

http://web.utk.edu/~fac/

My husband isn't into the idea of me rotting out in the woods somewhere though haha. You can donate your cremains/ashes though, so maybe.

It just seems like it's nature to me - a natural process.

I would not mind at all, do what you want with my body. Only thing is please burn my bones or take it inside when I am completely decomposed. Being laid in a cascet under ground scares me more. But offcourse it would feel better if my actual body parts where to help someone out directly. Like organ donation, but I guess this is the same it's just by a different path. 

I honestly did not know these even existed. Whoa.

I do not want my son to have to think of me rotting away somewhere. Bugs relentlessly feasting on me under the moonlight, my dislocated arm emerging halfway from the muddy leaves. An exposed foot with the big toe gnawed off by a nocturnal woodland creature. Stench wafting all around me. My eyeballs dissolving in their sockets till my eyelids cave in.

:)

(HA! So gruesome! I could never do this. Btw in 4th grade I won a pack of m&ms for my grotesque Halloween story that was full of similar horrible images. I wasn't interested in the story but I wanted to win the PRIZE! Tee hee.)

i read about this in a non-fiction book that only discusses what happens to your body after you die. i can't remember the title or author but will add if it comes to mind later.

i'm supportive of it, for science's sake. it doesn't really freak me out. as much as i'd like to be noble and donate my body to science, i'm not ready to sign it away just yet. maybe when i'm older and less attached to my looks? :)

when my dad passed away (at home, after a prolonged illness), the wrong funeral home biz came to take his body away! it was nighttime so we were with his body for four hours before the correct funeral home came over. it was actually kinda nice to be there with him, it was a more intimate way of keeping vigil i guess. after that it was the whole ceremonious fanfare - something a part of me finds worthy of detest.

My mother donated her body to medical research when she died.  I don't know if it was used in something like that, but I later found out they used some of the bodies for crash test dummies.

Personally, I have no need for my body once I am gone, and am opposed to be buried.  I would have absolutely no problem with my body being used for something like this.

Yeah, I am a double Scorpio, haha!

Freaky!  Not for me thanks.

I am a-ok with body farms, and highly recommend this book to anyone interested in them: http://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Curious-Lives-Human-Cadavers/dp/0393324826/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

(Be sure to buy through Elsa's affiliate link!)

<span style="font-size: medium;">Please Don't Bury Me
©John Prine

Woke up this morning
Put on my slippers
Walked in the kitchen and died
And oh what a feeling!
When my soul
Went thru the ceiling
And on up into heaven I did ride
When I got there they did say
John, it happened this way
You slipped upon the floor
And hit your head
And all the angels say
Just before you passed away
These were the very last words
That you said:

Chorus:
Please don't bury me
Down in that cold cold ground
No, I'd druther have "em" cut me up
And pass me all around
Throw my brain in a hurricane
And the blind can have my eyes
And the deaf can take both of my ears
If they don't mind the size
Give my stomach to Milwaukee
If they run out of beer
Put my socks in a cedar box
Just get "em" out of here
Venus de Milo can have my arms
Look out! I've got your nose
Sell my heart to the junkman
And give my love to Rose

Repeat Chorus

Give my feet to the footloose
Careless, fancy free
Give my knees to the needy
Don't pull that stuff on me
Hand me down my walking cane
It's a sin to tell a lie
Send my mouth way down south
And kiss my ass goodbye

Repeat Chorus

I'm on board with its purpose, but the thought of rotting away isn't for me.  Make me into ashes, please.

Wanted to add I have nothing against this idea in theory, and it's better than the crazy sick serial-killer story I thought I'd find in a post like this.  Just not what I'd like done with my earthly remains.

I heard of this and same as CP above, I think if you donate your body to research, unless you specify exactly what research, they can do whatever they want with your body. A body farm falls under research.  I read this somewhere once but cannot remember where so could be wrong, maybe things have changed etc.

No problem with body farms or death or caskets etc. I've seen too much of it up close and personal so you get over it fast as a result.

Bit of a hijack (sorry!!) but there was a new design of bed linens put out a couple years ago....the comforters or duvets look like the interior lining of a coffin. Blew my mind. Who would buy that??? I couldn't sleep under that on my bed. If i'm dead, fine, but not while i'm alive.

Of course I heard of this.... it was neat to see it portrayed on the TV show "Bones" (the woman police coroner series). Hmmm.... maybe I have the name wrong.... *Bah*.

Considering that in the current economy.... I suspect that Grave Robbing just might be back in vogue soon. Granted , in the USA , all jewelery is placed in a "secure" compartment in the coffin (I used to work part-time in the bussness).... this way should the grave be robbed , at least the valuables would remain hiddened. Hmmm.... unless the thieves cut up the coffin , guess it wouldn't matter then.

This is why I would prefer to have my casket & specially designed vault to be placed in the bottom of a mine. Then the whole thing covered in 25cu.yds of concrete. Seal me in.

Hmmm.... perhaps put this whole coffin / vault assembly on one of the asteroids. This way nobody would find it to rob my Final Resting place.... except Teenagers in the 25th century. Hmmm.... may not a good idea , either.

Oooooh.... the Kupiter Belt!!!!  Nice & quiet.... definitely would take the Teenagers centuries to discover where I went. Guess I better get started building my rocket.... perhaps NASA would have an old clunker sitting out back , which isn't being used at the moment?

I'd donate my body to science.But I wouldn't wanna know the details.As in I don't want to know if my body will slowly decompose somewhere on the ground while forensic anthropologists are observing or if young med students are learning anatomy first hand.It's too icky,and I don't want to know.

just considering my own feelings on the subject, I have zero attachment to what happens to my body after I die. none whatsoever. however, I have no way of knowing how what happens to my body might affect my children. they may care, they may not. it may depend on where they are in their lives whether or not they care, and can't really know. At this point if I died I have three living parents who would take responsibility for making those choices, and their choices would be decidedly conventional, so I'm not worried about it. If my parents die before me I'll make arrangements for something reasonably conventional so that my kids don't have to make that choice. that's my only consideration. if I had no children I'd have no problem donating my body to the farm... no need to, no need not to.

The vaults....they came back due to AIDS. I do remember that. My family members don't have vaults but many people do get them. They didn't die of anything contagious. These days, I think the vaults are a scam, money maker in the funeral business.

I love John Prine, have for years and years...saw him live in once in NYC during the height of his "illnesss" waited for 2 hours just for him to come out and play....but it was worth it! Here is a link to the song...

http://youtu.be/EE-d3IDwPVc

I already know what it feels like to die, dreamt about it when I was in my 30's, the dream showed me that it is similar to being born, just passing from one dimension to another...that took away my fear of death (horrible nightmares from early childhood on about violent deaths). I still have this weird idea that if I were to request my body be donated for organ transplants, that  it's entirely possible I could be in a coma, still alive, and be "pronounced dead" so they could harvest my organs. Is that too weird???

I never heard of the body farm, and have no desire to see it but I was enthralled with the show "The Walking Dead" when it first came out on AMC and became a huge hit.

http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead

Serenity

I love the John Prine song too!  I like the idea of donating my body to science although at my age, I don't think the use would go beyond study!  I would not want a funeral burial coffin kind of thing.... too morose.  Just a wake with a picture of me being inappropriate would be fine by me!

if that's the only legal way in this country for me to give my body back to the earth, i want to do it.

I've heard about it, read the Patricia Cornwell novel some years ago (love all her stuff). 

Somehow, I think I'd prefer to be cremated. Fire seems to purifying and I do not really like the idea of being in a coffin (I have slight claustrophobia), just rotting away. Better just do it fast and scatter the ashes in some nice place that meant something to me.